Slate Daily Feed

Chris Berube with the rundown: Donald Trump issues his NAFTA demands; An Australian senator unearths a shocking(ly mild) fact about her past; A 250-year-old cannonball is still active, somehow.

In this preview of the fifth episode of Slate's Conspiracy Thrillers Movie Club, Sam Adams is joined by Matt Zoller Seitz, the editor in chief of RogerEbert.com and TV critic for New York, to talk about The Parallax View. They discuss the film’s famous brainwashing scene and the Kuleshov effect, the strange character of protagonist Joe Frady, and what makes a true paranoid thriller.To listen to the full episode and learn more about this Slate Plus members-only Movie Club, visit Slate.com/thrillers.

Our friend Dan Pashman from the Sporkful podcast returns to explain the new field of study known as gastrophysics and why our brains have a big influence over how we taste food. For example, research shows we like the taste of food served with heavy cutlery and ice cream presented with brighter colors. “It could be something evolutionary,” says Pashman. “With brighter colors, ice cream tastes sweeter.” Check out Pashman’s interview with gastrophysicist Charles Spence. For the Spiel: Ann Coulter versus Delta, Day 3. 

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann discuss the latest developments in the Republican attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare. They ask whether John McCain’s surgery makes the bill more or less likely to pass; they analyze the incentives administration officials are offering to moderates; and they break down Vice President Mike Pence’s spectacularly ineffective (and thoroughly debunked) pitch for the bill at the National Governor’s Association meeting this weekend. 

Wimbledon (2:15):Howard Bryant joins to assess Roger Federer’s routine victory, Venus Williams’ recent resurgence, and whether the next generation of tennis stars will ever step up to challenge the sport’s veterans. Record-Setting Rookies (16:04): Sam Miller of ESPN discusses the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, and whether either of the two players can become the new face of baseball. (Sorry, Mike Trout.) 30 for 30 (29:03): Producer Rose Eveleth talks about the inaugural season of ESPN’s new podcast series, featuring episodes on an all-female Arctic expedition and a multi-million-dollar baccarat swindle. Afterballs (46:47)

Chris Berube with the rundown: How big is that giant iceberg, exactly?; Colorado scares people off the voter rolls; No, macaroni and cheese won't kill you, probably.

This is a free preview of Slate’s Game of Thrones podcast, a TV Club series that’s just for Slate Plus members. If you are not yet a member and would like to listen along this season, learn more at Slate.com/GameofThrones.In this episode, June Thomas, Seth Stevenson, and Isaac Butler recap where we left off, and what might lie ahead in Season 7.

Felix Salmon of Fusion, emerging-markets expert Anna Szymanski, and Slate Moneybox columnist Jordan Weissmann discuss:-       Visa’s push to go cashless-       Coding boot camps-       Warren Buffett trying to get into the utilities marketCheck out other Panoply podcasts at panoply.fm.Email: slatemoney@slate.comTwitter:@felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @JHWeissmannProduction by Daniel Schroeder

Virginia Heffernan talks to ProPublica's Justin Elliot about his reporting surrounding Trump's lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, and the most recent developments in Trump's defense including the impending hire of Ty Cobb. Also, Jamie Gorelick is stepping back from the Russia investigation on Jared Kushner's side – what does this mean for his case? And what impact do all these different lawyers on all these different sides have on the collection of defenses building up inside the White House?Slate Plus listeners stick around after the show to hear our producer, Jayson De Leon, chat with Slate's Ben Mathis Lilley about his cover story "The Wasted Mind of Ben Sasse." If you're not a Slate Plus member go to slate.com/trumpcastplus to join. That's slate.com/trumpcastplus.

Director David Lowery has made one of the most remarkable films of 2017 so far, and he’s built it around a ridiculous image: a white sheet with two eye-holes cut out. So what makes “A Ghost Story” feel so epic? And what’s with that 10-minute pie scene? Spoilers abound.     For the Spiel: so, who was in the room with Don Jr. and the Russians?  Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann discuss the latest draft of the health care legislation, which Republicans released on Thursday. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s bold tactic was to try to sway conservatives with policy concessions and to throw money at moderate holdouts. They ask why Senate moderates still haven’t definitively come out against the bill and whether Republican leadership will use a partisan source to score the bill if they decide the Congressional Budget Office would take “too long” to do the job. 

This is a free preview from Slate Voice: learn more at slate.com/voice "The Wasted Mind of Ben Sasse" by Ben Mathis-Lilley | Originally published on 7/13/2017

Mary Wilson with today’s three things: Papua New Guinea’s thin-skinned elections chief, a hacker targets one of the State Department’s top Russian specialists, and Kermit gets a new voice. 

Aisha Harris talks Kumail Nanjiani’s romantic comedy, The Big Sick with Ahmed Akbar, host of BuzzFeed’s podcast, See Something Say Something. And Vulture writer, Alex Jung comes on to discusses the reports of unequal pay on Hawaii Five-0.For links on what we discuss check out our show page.Tell a friend to subscribe! Share this link: megaphone.link/representEmail: represent@slate.comFacebook: Slate RepresentTwitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyleProduction by Veralyn WilliamsSocial media: Marissa Martinelli

Retired Admiral James Stavridis wants to remind us: Despite headlines about the rise of ISIS, there are bigger existential threats to America. “Terrorism is not apocalyptic, it’s a tool,” says Stavridis. He warns that conflicts with Russia and China are much more worrisome and likely to include a maritime component. “Again and again when there’s a crisis, the first question from the president is, where are the [aircraft] carriers? They are flexible and they can strike.” His new book is Sea Power. In the Spiel, making a supergroup of the musicians in Trump’s White House. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.